Electrical connectors have long been used to terminate and connect a variety of cables which carry electrical power or signals. Electrical cables, such as those carrying power, are supplied in various configurations based upon a particular application or the location in which the cables are to be used. One type of electrical cable includes plural insulated conductors extending within an outer insulated jacket. Such cables may also include an inner metallic sheath or cladding between the outer jacket and the conductors. Connectors of the type used to terminate such cables must provide for field engagement between the outer jacket of the cable and the connector. These connectors must also provide for grounded electrical engagement between the cladding of the cable and the body of the connector.
Connectors of this type may be designed to uniquely terminate one size of electrical cable or to terminate a range of sizes of electrical cables. These connectors typically include intricate components which must be employed to effectively seal the cable and the connector while also adequately establishing ground connection between the cladding of cable and the connector body. Consequently, these connectors must be able to precisely locate the cable within the connector to assure proper ground termination.
It is generally difficult to properly locate cables of different sizes in a single connector. One such connector which may be used to terminate a metal clad electrical cable is shown and described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,747 and which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. The connector described in the '747 patent provides for field termination of the metal clad electrical cable by effectively establishing a seal between the connector body and the jacket of the cable. This connector also establishes ground connection between the connector body and the metallic jacket of the cable. The connector of the '747 patent provides the ability to accommodate cables of different diameters by providing a grounding element which accommodates metal cladding of different diameters. Thus the connector of the '747 patent provides a range taking feature with respect to the metal cladding of the cable.
Another example of a range taking electrical connector is provided in the commonly U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,327 by reference herein for all purposes. The range taking feature of this connector is enhanced by the provision of a removable armor stop which inserts into one end of the connector body. The armor stop desirably takes the form of an elongate cylindrical wall having a given thickness and is threadingly received within a cable egress end of the connector body. When inserted into the connector, the armor stop provides one transverse edge in substantially coplanar alignment with an annular internal shoulder of the connector. The annular edge of the metal cladding normally abuts against the internal shoulder of the connector when fully inserted therein. The thickness of the insertable armor stop at its transverse edge allows the connector to accommodate an even greater range of diameters of metal cladding of the cable which the connector may then accommodate. The armor stop further provides a positive position stop for ensuring correct positioning of the metal cladding within the connector so as to provide secure mechanical and electrical connection of the cable. The art has also seen other designs for armor stops which increase the range taking ability of a connector such as, for example, a washer type component employed against the internal shoulder and allowing the conductors of the cable to pass through a central aperture that is smaller than that defined by the internal shoulder.
Once the metal clad cable is properly positioned within the connector, the conductors of the cable extend from the cladding adjacent the internal shoulder through an open sealing chamber which defines the exit end of the connector. The armor stops, being about the conductors of the cable, are similarly positioned within this sealing chamber. For some applications in hazardous locations it is desirable to fill the vacant portion of the sealing chamber with a sealing or potting compound so as to seal the connector and prevent the formation of a flame path therethrough.
It is generally desirable to remove the armor stop from the connector so that the sealing compound may more fully flow into, and more fully occupy, the sealing chamber. The circumstances surrounding the installation, however, may complicate removal of the armor stop. For instance, it is common for an installer to insert the free ends of the conductors through a panel or wall prior to potting, rendering the free ends of the conductor inaccessible for the simple sliding of the armor stop thereover. Additionally, many installers prefer to terminate the free ends of the conductors prior to potting the conductors within the connector. Furthermore, the length of an exposed conductor extending from a connector can be quite long so that it is inconvenient for the installer to attempt to slide the armor stop off the free ends thereof.
When using a cylindrical armor stop of the above-mentioned copending application, the installer must therefore cut the armor stop in order to remove it from about the conductors of the cable. Cutting through the armor stop poses a risk of the installer also cutting through an inner insulation covering or an internal conductor of the cable and adversely affecting the performance of the cable. Additionally, in order to remove a washer type armor stop of the prior art, it is necessary to disassemble the connector after the cable has been fixed with respect to one component of the connector. The disassembly operation can be time consuming and, in some workspaces or environmental conditions, difficult to perform. Such disassembly operations also present a risk of the connector being improperly re-assembled.